


Rite of Passage

by Leni



Series: Conversation Starters [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 18:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7944016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal faces a rite of passage in the world without magic, Swanfire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rite of Passage

**Author's Note:**

> 010\. ❝you’re a coward.❞

"You're a coward, Neal Cassidy," he muttered to himself, hoping the phrase would trigger him into action just as it had so many decades ago. Then he had burst into fists, hating being singled-out, hating the comparison, hating that the other kids had reason to use that word around him.

But now he was in a store a world away, not a sea port village in the Frontlands. His target was not the nose of the biggest boy teasing him, but any of the bright pink packages in the woman's hygiene aisle.

Going to war against the ogres to prove everyone wrong seemed a better choice than what faced him now.

"Grab it. Hide it. Run away," he repeated the plan to himself.

He had the money, as Emma had taken the care to score a fat wallet in preparation. But the thought of showing anyone - even a cashier who'd probably seen a thousand boxes of tampons that day alone - what he'd come to buy...

This was what happened to little boys who grew up without a woman in the household, Neal thought bitterly. This was what happened after three hundred years (and no more than a minute, at the same time) trapped in a world where the only girl had never grown up.

Boys like him could fight with swords and trick shadows into traveling across worlds, but give them one particular errand from their girlfriend, and they froze in place.

"Aw, man," said a male voice beside him. Grateful for the distraction, Neal turned to the other guy. Older than him, in his mid-twenties at least, the stranger looked at him with pity. "Sister, girlfriend, or wife?" he asked.

Neal blinked. "Huh?"

"Well. Can't be a sister, or you'd be used to this shit." The guy shook his head, muttering about poor, unprepared sods under his breath. Then he clapped Neal in the back before he could protest. "Come on, deep breaths, brother. You can do it."

Neal didn't move.

"Man. You're awful at this." With a sigh, the other guy stepped into the aisle. "See? Nothing happened. Now don't bother to look around. Believe me, anything you get will be exactly what they needed, or they'll dump it on your head. No middle point."

"Then... How...?"

A smirk. "Just reach out-" and he joined actions to word "-and grab the first box you touch. Don't look. Just shove it in your basket and go for some beer and maybe some magazines - the dirty stuff if your woman's into that."

Neal blinked at that.

"Oh, fuck. Are you even legal for that?" The stranger peered down at him, then shook his head. "Whatever, man. You're old enough for a mandated tampon-run, you're old enough for a centerfold. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

_I'm older than this country,_ he wanted to point out. But the boy who'd been alive three hundred years ago had been called by another name. Neal Cassidy had sworn to forget that doomed kid. "Thanks?"

The other man clapped his shoulder. Hard. "No matter, man. Just passing down some wisdom. My daddy said to always make sure to grab some ice-cream as well, but my Izzie hates the stuff. Crazy world. What does your girl like?"

Neal didn't have to think hard about that. "Hot chocolate. With cinnamon sprinkled on top."

"There you go! You get her that and you'll be golden for a few hours at least. Now..." He had returned to Neal's side, and with a laugh, he pushed him down the aisle. "Don't look, just grab. Good boy."

Red-faced, Neal did as instructed.

If he didn't look down at his basket, it didn't even seem like a big deal. "Thanks, man," he said, sighing in relief that the most difficult part was done.

The other guy shrugged. "Glad to help. Just make sure to teach your kid when you get one. You don't want him to stand like a fool in some random store at midnight, do you?"

Neal shook his head, said his thanks again as he turned to the groceries section (because he and Emma needed bread and peanut butter more than they did beer), but his mind was already running images of a kid who looked all like Emma and nothing like his side of the family.

It would be great, to teach that kid.

Of course, Emma would freak out if he hinted at kids. And with good reason. They were young enough to enjoy a few years more on their own, and they still needed to get to Tallahassee anyway.

But once they were settled...

Yeah. It would be great.

 

The End  
03/09/16


End file.
